Colored Gemstone Choices for Fall and Winter 2018

After studying Pantone's color choices for Fall and Winter 2018, I selected the best gems for you that match the color palette.  These are gems that will compliment Fall and Winter's fashions in clothing and accessories; colors you may want to consider while planning your jewelry creations for later in the year.

Image borrowed from Pantone website

 Red Pear - Ruby, Garnet

Valiant Poppy - Red Coral

Nebulas Blue - not really sure on this one

Ceylon Yellow - another one I am not really sure of

Martini Olive - Smokey Quartz

Russet Orange - Carnelian, Peach Moonstone, Amber

Ultra Violet - Amethyst, Charoite

Crocus Petal -  Phosposdarite, Pink Amethyst, Lavender Moonstone Quartz, Sugilite

Limelight - Lemon Quartz

Quetzal Green - London Blue Topaz

July's Birthstone, Ruby

 July's birthstone, the ruby, is among the most highly prized of gemstones. Large rubies are harder to find than large diamonds, emeralds and sapphires. As a result, rubies’ value increases with size more than any other gemstone.

Ruby is a pink to blood-red colored gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum, also known as aluminum oxide.  The red color is caused mainly by the presence of the element chromium. It is harder than any natural gemstone except diamond, which means a ruby is durable enough for everyday wear.

 Prices of rubies are primarily determined by color. The brightest and most valuable "red" called pigeon blood-red, commands a large premium over other rubies of similar quality. After color follows clarity: similar to diamonds, a clear stone will command a premium price.  Cut and carat weight would be the last determining factors in pricing a ruby.

All natural rubies have imperfections in them, including color impurities and inclusions of rutile needles known as "silk". Gemologists use these needle inclusions found in natural rubies to distinguish them from synthetics, or substitutes.  Almost all rubies today are treated in some form, with heat treatment being the most common practice.  Rubies that are completely untreated and are of excellent quality, command a large premium.

Rubies come from all over the world but good gemstones are found in India, Madagascar, Zimbabwe, North Carolina in the U.S., Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Tanzania, Kampuchea, and perhaps most notably, Burma.  The Mogok valley of Upper Burma is famous as the source for the finest and rarest rubies of all, the pigeon blood-red,  named for the stones’ intense red color. Another major source of rubies is Thailand, well-known for dark, brownish-red rubies. Both Thailand and Burma regard the ruby as their national stone.

(Information shared from the websites:  American Gem Society and Earth Sky.)

Druzy Quartz Cabochons

Jewelry made with drusy quartz cabochons have become very popular of late.  Since I didn't know much about this gemstone, I decided to do some research and share here with you. 

The name "drusy" is derived from the German word for geode, which is "druse."

You may see drusy quartz spelled as druse, druzy, or drusies.   Either way, it is all the same gem.  The simplest definition for drusy quartz is that it is a rock covered in tiny crystals.  Tiny quartz crystals form inside geodes, in large pockets of mineral deposits, or on the surface of other stones, such as agates or chalcedony.

Here is a more "scientific" or "geological" explanation.  "When ground water carrying dissolved silica is forced into a porous area of the rock, rapid cooling often occurs, causing the formation of tiny crystals on the surfaces or in cavities of the rock. The clear crystals often form on top of previously deposited minerals."

Druse gemstone cabochons are natural stones, having a quartz base and a thin layer of crystalline quartz on the surface that sparkles. You can find natural colored drusies in turquoise blue, green, pink, mauve, lavender, black, white, grey, dark brown, deep red, and rust colored red.  Some of the coloring in the natural colored drusies comes from the crystals themselves, and in others, the color comes from the underlying gemstone, such as agate or chalcedony, and the transparent druzy crystals "convey" that gem color to your eye.

Color Treatment

Besides the natural coloring, druse cabochons are also being dyed brillant colors or coated with titanium, or other substances to give them pearl essence, or iridescence.

Vapor deposition is the name of the treatment when metals like titanium, gold or platinum are used to improve the color of a dull druzy or impart the distinctive color of the metal.  Titanium metal coating will produce spectacular shades of bight, dark blue or an iridescent white, that are permanent. 

***The coating on a drusy is thin, so the drusy needs to be treated with care.  If you scratch them hardly, the base gemstone will show through.


Care for Drusy Quartz Cabochons

Druzy gemstones are a 7 on the Moh's scale of hardness.   That means they are fairly hard and thus durable in jewelry.  Of course, they are more fragile than their smooth, domed surface, counterparts and some care must be taken when setting, cleaning, and wearing these stones.

Over and over I read that druse crystal cabochons are best set in pendants or earrings, and are not really suitable for rings and bracelets.  That is because you can scratch the coating off a coated druse, or break a crystal if you bang the cabochon too hard.  Custom designed jewelry with druse cabochons are best used for dress up, rather than every day wear. 

As with most gemstones, drusy should be kept away from chemicals like solvents and acids and from exposure to heat as this can cause damage or permanent changes to its appearance.

Restore the sparkle of any druzy by swishing the piece through warm water with dishwashing liquid, rinse in distilled water, and dry with a blower or hair dryer.  Cared for properly, all drusies should last as long as the piece in which they are set.  Each stone is unique.

***For the Jeweler:  To protect the beautiful finish on these gemstones against inadvertent abrasion, we recommend covering the surface with a clear plastic while you position and set them into your bezel. Place a soft cloth between the stone and the work surface to protect the underside of the stone as well.

Please remember that the metallic coatings are not thick, so NEVER machine-buff the surface of coated druzy.

This information has come from various sources online.  A couple of the sources are:

Bernadine Fine Art Jewelry's blog and the blog of the Examiner.

***If you would like to see the selection of druzy quartz cabochons that TigerBeadStore.com carries,  please go to this link. 

More on Gemstone Treatments

Dyed Chalcedony

Since I am interested in knowing how and why gemstones are treated, I thought you might like to know to.  

Many dealers treat gemstone materials through several of the methods listed below.  The reason being, to gain higher prices when selling on the world markets.

The goal of any gem treatment is to improve the stone's color and clarity. Some methods help to remove inclusions; some fill the cracks in a stone; other methods can make clear crystals appear colorful.

The following list will help you identify and understand some of the gemstone treatments known to exist in the gem trade. Some of these treatments are temporary, while others are permanent.

Heating : Heat is used to achieve a desired alteration of color, clarity, and /or phenomena. This is a permanent treatment. Examples: Tanzanite, Blue Topaz, Smoky Quartz, Citrine, Aquamarine, Quartz.

Diffusion: The use of chemicals in conjunction with high temperatures to produce color and/or asterism-producing inclusions. This is a permanent treatment. Examples: Topaz, Sapphire.

Irradiation : The use of neutron bombardment to alter a gemstone's color; may be followed by a heating process. This is a permanent treatment. Examples: Topaz, Smoky Quartz, Diamonds.

Coating : The use of surface enhancements such as lacquering, enameling, inking, foiling, or sputtering of films to improve appearance, provide color or add other special effects. This is a temporary enhancement.Examples: Emerald, Opal.

Dyeing : The introduction of coloring matter into a gemstone to give it new color, intensify present color or improve color uniformity.  Sometimes stable, but often not, may fade or bleed. This is a temporary enhancement. Examples: Chalcedony, Quartz, Agate.  Sometimes (not always) also used to intensify the color of Amethyst, Garnet, Iolite and many other stones.

Dyed Pink Chalcedony

Oiling/Resin Infusion : The intentional filling of surface breaking cavities with a colorless oil, wax, natural resin, or unhardened man-made material into fissured transparent gemstones to improve appearance. (i.e., oil, man-made resin, cedar wood oil, Canada balsam, paraffin, etc.) This is a temporary enhancement. Examples: Emerald.

Filling : As a by-product of heat enhancement, the presence of solidified borax or similar colorless substances. This is a temporary enhancement. Examples: Emerald, Opal.

Infilling : The intentional filling of surface cracks or fractures usually with glass, plastic, or other hardened foreign substances to improve durability, appearance and / or weight. This is a temporary enhancement. Example: Emerald, Mexican Opal.

Waxing/Oiling : The impregnation of a colorless wax, paraffin and oil in porous opaque gemstones to improve appearance. This is a temporary enhancement. Examples: Emerald, Opal.

Laser : The use of a laser and chemicals to reach and alter inclusions in diamonds. This is a permanent treatment.

Vacumn Deposition  : A newly patented process, that deposits a permanent coating. Stable. This is how all "Mystic Topaz", Green Topaz, and most or probably all Pink Topaz available to the average consumer is acquirred.

Stabilization :  The use of resin like coatings. Usually stable, but may attract grime and discolor. Common with Turquoise.  Sometimes a dealer may incorrectly use this term for chips that have been reconstituted and dyed.

Folklore of Moonstone

  

I love gem folklore.  I find it fascinating to read what different cultures have thought about the powers and uses of gemstones.  The following is folklore for June's birthstone, the moonstone.

"There is a bit of folklore which claims that if a man gives his lover a moonstone necklace on the night of the full moon, the couple will experience intense passion for each other forever.

The moonstone is also believed to bring good fortune, enhance intuition, offer protection, and bring success in love and business matters.

Fortune tellers decorated their crystal balls with moonstone to aid them in predicting the future. It is believed that the moonstone gem regenerates its power when placed under the light of the full moon.

Moonstone in Rome, Greece and France
From ancient civilizations to our modern-day society, moonstone has been prized and sought after to be worn as jewelry.

The Romans revered the moonstone, believing it to be born from the rays of the moon’s light.

The Greeks believed that the moonstone represented the great lunar deities like Achelois, Phoebe, Artemis, Selene and Hecate, and worshiped the stone.

 Indian Moonstone Legends

In India, the moonstone is thought to be a sacred, powerful gemstone. Moonstones there are called 'dream stones' and are believed to bring the wearer beautiful visions during sleep.

The stone is believed to bring luck in love and is given as a traditional wedding gift. Moonstones are always displayed on a cloth that is yellow, which the Indians consider a sacred color.

The legend about how the moonstone came into existence begins with a battle fought between Lord Vishnu and Bali, the demon god. Lord Vishnu destroyed Bali and broke his body into pieces. The pieces then fell to Earth as various jewels. The moonstone was formed from a piece of Bali’s eye.

Moonstone in the Middle East

In the Middle East, many women wear moonstones discretely sewn into their garments because they believe the stone is a symbol of fertility.

Amulets with moonstone are hung from trees to ensure an abundant crop.

Similar to Indians, the people in the Middle East also associate the moonstone with love matters. It is believed that a couple can predict the direction of their relationship if a moonstone is placed in their mouths at the time of the full moon.

The moonstone is also offered as a blessing to young couples. It is believed that the gem will provide fertility and help to create a large and healthy family.

  
Oriental Beliefs

In the Orient, it is believed that the moonstone gem is actually a ray of moonlight that has solidified and that a good spirit lives inside the gem. Emperors were buried with moonstone and other symbolic gems."

This information in from the website JewelryNotes.com

Chryscolla

I recently bought chrysocolla cabochons for the bead store.  I have never purchased this gemstone before so I wanted to find out a little bit about the stone. 

I wanted to know if somehow it was related to turquoise.   What I did find out is that it is often confused for turquoise.   Due to its color similarity, Chrysocolla can be used as a cheaper substitute and is occasionally falsely labelled as Turquoise.

Chrysocolla is a gemstone with a beautiful sky blue to bluish-green color. It's chemical make up contains copper, which is responsible for the bright attractive color.  It can be solid in color, but more often it is multicolored blue and green, with interesting color patterns or mottling, inclusions, or veining of black and brown material. 

Chrysocolla is found worldwide. It is a copper bearing mineral found wherever copper deposits occur 
especially in areas of the southwestern USA, Mexico, Chili, Australia, France, England, the Congo (Zaire), Israel, and Peru. 

Chrysocolla, in its pure form, is soft and fragile, and therefore not widely used in jewelry. It has a 
variable hardness from 2 to 4 on the Mohr's scale of gem hardness. 

Though soft as a gem, you could put a finish over the stone to help make it more durable. If you 
wanted to use it in jewelry, I would recommend using it for a piece that would not get as much 
wear and tear, such as a pin, or possibly a necklace pendant.      

Chalcedony

I was interested in the gemstone chalcedony and thought I would do some research.

Chalcedony is also known as agate. Its colors are bluish white, or gray. The various types differ in color due to metallic impurities, such as iron, nickel, copper, and titanium, present during crystallization.

Some of the best known chalcedony species are:

Bloodstone, an opaque, dark green chalcedony with red spots (caused by iron oxide).

Blue chalcedony, called "Mohave" and "Mt. Airy Blues", originating in California and Nevada, are slightly to moderately grayish blue with a light to medium color range.
Blue chalcedony from Namibia, often called "African Blue", varies from grayish to nearly pure blue and from light to medium dark. The most unusual and most valuable type is from Oregon. Its blues are modified by slight to moderate amounts of pink, making a noticeably lavender gem, which nonetheless is called "Holly Blue."

Carnelian ranges in color from yellow-orange to rich, near reddish orange, to orangey brown, and varies from semi-opaque to highly translucent.

Chrysocolla, marketed as "Gem Silica" is relatively rare. It's color is blue to blue-green, opaque to near transparent material is the most expensive type of chalcedony. Its color agent is copper.

Chrysoprase, apple green chalcedony that derives its color from nickel, ranges from nearly opaque to nearly transparent. Its color spectrum includes olivey, to nearly pure greens of medium tone. Very fine, highly saturated pieces have been successfully misrepresented as Imperial jade.

March's Birthstone, Aquamarine: Folklore and Healing Qualities

"There are many myths and legends about the aquamarine stone. The Romans believed that if the figure of a frog were carved on an aquamarine, it served to reconcile enemies and make them friends. Another Roman legend stated that the stone absorbs the atmosphere of young love: 'When blessed and worn, it joins in love, and does great things.' Aquamarine was also considered the most appropriate morning gift to give to a bride by her groom following the consummation of their marriage. The Greeks and the Romans knew the aquamarine as the sailor’s gem, ensuring the safe and prosperous passage across stormy seas. In Medieval times, the stone was thought to reawaken the love of married couples. It was also believed to render soldiers invincible.

The Sumerians, Egyptians, and Hebrews also admired and valued aquamarine greatly. It was a symbol of happiness and everlasting youth. In the Christian era, the aquamarine was identified with the Apostle, St. Thomas, because it 'imitated the sea and the air' and the Saint 'made long journeys by sea, even to India, to preach salvation.' Identifying a certain jewel with one of the twelve apostles was a common practice at that time. William Langland’s 'The Vision Concerning Piers and the Plowman,' from 1377, mentions the aquamarine as an antidote for poison. This antidote was widely known throughout Europe. Because there was a wide amount of poisonings amongst royalty at the time, the gem was in popular demand just for that purpose. It was not necessary to pulverize the stone, as it was/ is with other gemstones. Simply wearing the stone as a pendant or in a ring was just as effective.

Writers of the middle Ages claimed aquamarine was the most popular and effective of the 'oracle' crystals. When cut as a crystal ball, it was thought to be a superior stone for fortune telling. Many methods of using the stone as a divining tool were described in ancient literature. One method involved hanging a stone by a thread over a bowl of water, just touching the surface. The inner edge of the bowl was covered with the characters of the alphabet. The diviner was to hold the top of the thread and allow the stone to hit certain letters, which would spell out answers to an important question, sort of like a ouija board. Another method was to cast a crystal into a bowl of pure water. The disturbances in the water would reveal messages on the surface of the liquid. Aquamarine’s powers of revelation were also said to help one in search for lost or hidden things.

According to folklore, aquamarine would bring victory in battles and legal disputes. The gem was also credited with curing belching and yawning and was considered especially effective for curing ailments of the jaws, throat, stomach, liver and toothaches. Aquamarine was also used in ceremonies in the belief that it would bring rain when needed, or visit drought upon their enemies. When worn as an amulet, it was believed to bring relief of pain and to make the wearer friendlier, quicken the intellect and cure laziness. The ancient philosopher Pliny paid tribute to this gem of vitality, stating, 'the lovely aquamarine, which seems to have come from some mermaid’s treasure house, in the depths of a summer sea, has charms not to be denied.' ” (1)

"According to some legends, aquamarine is the treasure of mermaids, with the power to keep sailors safe. Supposedly its' powers are particularly strong when immersed in water. While on land, it is said to have a soothing influence on married couples. The ancient Romans believed that the Aquamarine was sacred to Neptune, the god of the sea, having fallen from the jewel boxes of sirens and washed onto shore. Early sailors wore aquamarine talismans, engraved with the likeness of Neptune, as protection against dangers at sea." (2)

Information shared from:
(1)www.jewelsforme.com 
(2)www.hubpages.com/hub/Myths-and-Legends-about-Gemstones.com